I keep getting colds lately

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Since December I've had 3 colds (got third cold right now), and I hate getting colds. I don't know anybody else with one at the moment, and I always wash my hands after being out and so on.

My diet is pretty good. I often have vegetables, fruit and meat. I don't like nuts so I don't have them, and I don't drink tea either. I walk a lot, and I sleep well too. So I can't understand why my immune system is so low lately. Normally my immune system is pretty strong.

When I get colds, I suddenly become insomnic, and because I sleep so well normally, being unable to get to sleep is very distressing for me.

If I'm eating the right food, how am I lacking the certain vitamin I need to boost my immune system? Could it be the weather too? It's been rather cold for this time of year, and we haven't had much sunshine either, and hardly any rain (both sun and rain are vitamin D).

Knowing the weather in Britain.....you are probably vitamin D deficient. My doctor told me that there's no way one can get enough of it where I live (Scandinavia) through only face and arms, it takes more dedicated tanning. Also, you need to eat a crapton of seafood to get enough through food. There simply is no alternative to the sun.

Vitamin C is also important.

Take some probiotics. Doesnt matter which one, they work great to boost the immune system. I used to catch colds and flus all the time but I rarely do anymore and those that I do get are very short lasting.

For cold-recovery I just spam 4x or even 8x the normal recommended dosage of Vitamin C supplement.

Great replies. The only obvious one I don't see here is zinc.

Don't forget to exercise and watch out for CATS (caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, processed sugar)

+99 on the probiotics. An 8oz shot of Kefir will even give you 20 billion CFU's of some very desirable strains.

proper hygiene

avoid sick people, as much as practical

avoid going places that are too crowded/dirty, as much as you can, while functioning

hand sanitizer

To boost your immune system you need to take at least a thousand units of C a day, and more when sick.

You also need to take several thousand--yes, several thousand units of D a day. The amount of 400 units a day that is normally recommended is actually a minimal amount, but docs who really know about Vit D recommend several thousand units a day, some say as much as 8000. I take at least 4 or 5 thousand units a day, and haven't had a cold since I started taking so much.

Also make sure you get enough zinc, but not too much, as high levels are toxic.

Take turmeric/curcumin tablets or capsules in double the recommended dose, as again, the amount recommended is too low. This stuff is good for the immune system.

Take Airborne, which comes in several forms--a powder to dissolve in water, a large tablet to dissolve in water, or a large chewable gummy thing. I prefer the gummy chew, as the stuff which makes the tablets dissolve in water also dissolves bones and teeth.

Airborne is a combination of immune supporting vitamins and herbs that was developed by a teacher who got fed up with constantly getting all the colds, flu, and other illnesses brought to school by the kids.

In addition to these supplements, also eat mostly healthy, get some moderate exercise, and get plenty of sleep.

If you do feel a cold or flu comming on, increase the doses of Airborne, turmeric/curcuming, vit C, & vit D, but don't increase the dose of the zinc, as that is a mineral that can be harmful in larger doses.

Hope this helps.

I DO follow a pretty healthy lifestyle, that's the point. I don't even smoke or drink, and I eat plenty of fruit, vegetables and meat. And I do a lot of walking, plus I have an active job.

So what is wrong with me? Why am I so run down lately? I feel so rotten with this cold, it's making me just want to sit around not doing anything.

Maybe I should take vitamin meds like some posters have suggested.

If you eat healthy you will already have all the vitamins you need. Probiotics would help better.

If you eat healthy you will have all the vitamins you need except vitamin D, which you can't get enough of through food.

That said, there are lots of autistics with wonky guts. Taking a vitamin supplement is cheap and might work.

Have you spoken to your GP about this? Depending on how long these colds have been lasting. When you start hitting three-four weeks every time you get a cold, it could be a sign your immune system is not working at full speed. I used to have a lot of that.

I think I might see the doctor, as I'm getting fed up of getting colds. I've always had a good immune system, one time I went 2 years without getting a cold at all.

When I sleep, I sleep with my mouth shut, which is difficult when your nose is blocked. So when I fall asleep with a cold, my mouth starts to close, which then makes me wake up again gasping for oxygen. This happens all night when my nose is blocked, which is why I hate getting colds so much. I use all sorts of remedies to help me breathe through my nose, but with a cold my nose is still going to be icky and difficult to breathe properly with.
I suffer with my sinuses all the time but I can still breathe through my nose when I don't have a cold.

So it's a vicious cycle. Having a cold prevents me from having a good night's sleep, which makes me unable to concentrate all day, which makes me not want to go to work even if I'm not ill with the cold. People at work don't understand and say I should "man up".

I'll be damned if I've got to put up with that every month. I will see the doctor.

I always get colds around this time of year; I keep an eye on my diet and take iron tablets as I have a history of iron-deficiency anaemia, which weakens the immune system, but without fail - early Spring I'll get a cold. This is pure conjecture, but in general I'd say I eat less dark green vegetables in the winter and more savouries as most do, which may still mean I'm not properly absorbing enough iron the natural way during the cold months. Then once Spring sets in, perhaps I pay the toll for it. There really is nothing like getting your vitamins from food in place of a bazillion supplements, though being vegetarian I break some of my own rules!
Anyway, shortly before the anaemia issue was first detected as a child, my mother had taken me to the doctors because I'd suffered a bad cold for almost a month, but a simple blood test arranged by the GP could rule this out for you.